Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
by Misericordia13
Summary: Julian's working a solo job outside of Sunnyvale, and this may be the most challenging one yet.
1. Flirtin' With Disaster

Julian's eyelids were a bit heavy. He'd been driving for hours. This was day two of this road trip he was hired to do, and he was wondering just how he managed to get himself into this situation when the girl in the passenger seat told him to turn in at the biker bar. "Really? Let's drive through the night..." He'd been hired to take shifts with this girl, driving from Florida to Nova Scotia in her midnight black '68 Charger. Now here he was, in South Carolina, with a girl barely more than a stranger wanting to stop at a rowdy biker bar. They'd been driving for hours, sleeping for roughly 8 in the car right after he'd flown from his home in Nova Scotia to Florida to start this journey. "Just trust me." She replied as steered the car in. "I don't want any trouble. This has gotta be low key." They were in a hot rod loaded with weed they were to smuggle across the border. Couldn't afford to stir up any trouble. "We won't. This is home."

She hadn't told him much about herself. At the start of this trip he'd found it hard to keep conversation going and they'd spent most of the trip in silence, the radio playing hard rock tunes. Ryder was quite an interesting character. After sneaking peeks at her the entire trip he had observed everything he could about her. Her arms sleeved in ink, She wore tight ripped jeans and black band shirts. Cowboy boots. Her bright green eyes shielded by a curtain of hair as black as the car they sat in.

He parked and she stepped from the car, stretching her arms above her head and giving him a peek of the smooth skin of her belly and the grips of the pistols tattooed on her hips, leaving him to ponder what the rest of the tattoos looked like below the waist of her pants. She bent down to peek in the car at him. "Coming Jules?" He blinked and pretended to be tending to his rum and coke, hoping she didn't catch him staring.


	2. Have a drink on me

The bar was a noisy, dark place and Julian didn't exactly feel comfortable. He never was one for bars. Tightening his grip on his glass, he tried to keep up with Ryder. The bar was mostly men, and he felt an unfounded tinge of jealousy as the other men checked her out. She's barely talked to him, much less show any interest in him. Everyone around them wore a patch bearing the name The Filthy Few above a grinning skull. The two of them wouldn't fare well fighting against this whole crew of bikers. He hoped she wouldn't do anything brash.

As she made her way to the bar, a man reached out and smacked her ass. Julian reached for the glock in the waistband of his pants instinctively and paused when he spotted her deck the guy. The rest of the men in the nearby area jeered, laughing at the man she'd knocked out. He relaxed when he remembered the .22 magnum hidden within her reach in her cowboy boots. The bartender slid her a drink and she leaned in close to tell him something. He grinned and pointed her to the back corner of the bar. She turned and grinned at Julian, telling him to follow her with a come hither gesture.

When he caught up to her she was sitting in a big biker's lap, the president patch clearly visible on his leather vest. What the hell was she up to? "Whose this Ryder? Your new boy toy?" The long haired biker said from behind his thick beard. "No Daddy just working with him." He gave her knee a pat. "Go easy on him baby." He laughed. "Where ya from boy?" The man asked in his scruff voice. "Nova Scotia." "Long way from home huh? Don't let this one get ya lost." He laughed, patting her again. "I'm so glad you came to see me! I ain't seen ya in a coon's age!" "Been on the road alot. But i couldn't pass by without paying a visit." She replied, pointing Julian to the chair free next to her position on the biker's knee.

He sat awkwardly and nursed his rum and coke as she caught up to this biker, whom she introduced to him as Wade. Apparently Wade had pretty well raised her from the age of six until she left at nineteen. "And I taught her everything she knows. From building cars to shooting guns to breaking hearts and drinking grown men under the table!" He boasted to everyone around the table. "Sam! Send us a round of drinks!" She shouted to the bartender.


	3. Like a rolling stone

Julian snapped to consciousness, the noise around him boring into his skull. Last thing he remembered was drinking heavily with Ryder and her crew. After that was only darkness. He was almost afraid to open his eyes. This whole stop had been a stupid idea. They could have been in Nova Scotia by now and safely dropped off the weed. He opened his eyes slowly, curious to the weight and warmth on his chest. The light was blinding, how could the light be so bright in a bar? He opened his eyes enough to realize he'd passed out on a pool table, Ryder sleeping soundly curled on his broad chest. Shit, what went on last night?

He tried to ease out from under her and she hugged tighter to him, one hand resting across his stomach. He lay back again, listening to Johnny Cash's 'Sunday Morning Coming Down' play just a little too loudly from a jukebox across the room. He shifted, putting one muscular arm under his head. "Where ya goin?" She asked sleepily. "We gotta hit the road." He replied. "What the hell happened last night?" She moved, looming over his face. "Not a whole lot, or you would've remembered." She laughed before reaching across him to grab his glass and take a swig of warm rum and coke. "We'd better get going." She replied as she sat up and placed the glass in his hand.

Once she said her goodbyes to Wade and the gang she made her way to the passenger side of the car, retrieving a joint from the sun visor and a white bic lighter from her pocket. She lit it, took a long drag, and passed it to him as she climbed inside. The car roared to life as she waved goodbye to the bar's occupants and flipped through songs on her ipod.


	4. I'm your passenger

After successfully crossing the border from Maine into New Brunswick, Ryder wheeled the car in behind an abandoned building in a field. "I just need to stretch my legs. Take a break." She stepped out and stretched, retrieving a bottle of Jack Daniels from the backseat. She took a big swig before passing it to him. "Well if we rest for an hour or so then get back on the road, we should be at the drop off point before dark." She observed as she pulled the small handgun from her boots, setting it on the dash. "This has been fun, but I'm ready to be done riding." He laughed. "Yea these long trips are always rough." She replied, taking a drag from the joint he passed her. "Least I had good looking company this time." She deadpanned, laughing when Julian's cheeks reddened a bit. "You're cute when you blush. I thought you'd be harder to fluster than that." She said softly as she turned to him. Deciding to take the moment, he leaned into her and kissed her, the taste of Jack still on her lips. He took her off guard for a change, and she didn't exactly protest.

In fact, she sat on the edge of the hood, pulled him closer and kissed him again. Harder she kissed, wanting more of him. Her hands roamed across his broad shoulders as his hands held her waist, almost innocently. "Don't be shy, kiss me like you mean it." She said against his lips, pulling him towards her and placed his hands on her hips. His fingers found their way up her back, tangling in her long dark hair. She moaned against him, redirected her kisses to follow the line of his jaw. Pulling back she pulled his shirt from his jeans. "Let's see what you're hiding under this shirt, boy." She laughed as he pulled it over his head with one hand, tossing it off to the side as he removed the glock from the back of his jeans, placing it beside his drink on the hood. When he captured her lips with another crushing kiss she pulled him closer, wrapping her legs around his waist. "Well that's a pretty cool Pantera shirt but..." He said as he pulled it over her head, revealing the thin white muscle shirt covering her black lacy bra and the gun tattoos on her hips. He pushed her gently against the hood of the car, pulling her against him as his mouth explored her collarbones and the hollow of her throat.

She wrapped her legs around his waist again, feeling just how much he wanted her. He smelled so good. Her hands explored his back, all the way to his soft dark hair. She undid his belt, unzipped his pants. His warm hands caressed her neck and further down her torso, fumbling to undo her jeans. Her got her belt and jeans undone before she distracted him again, capturing his lips in a kiss and lightly raking her nails down his back. He moaned in pleasure then stopped dead, ears strained to see if he'd imagined that sound.


	5. Shot in the dark

She reached up to kiss him again and he pulled away, placing his finger over her lips. "Listen..." He breathed. He could hear the muffled sounds of men talking but he couldn't see anyone. "Hey!" He shouted and the night air cracked, a blast of light near the corner of the building. A searing pain ripped through his chest, blood immediately gushing from the wound. Reflex, Ryder rolled onto her stomach, grabbing his Glock and firing a shot into the direction the first shot was fired. "Holy fuck!" He gasped as he braced himself against the hood, blood pouring from his chest onto her back. "Julian?" Called a familiar voice from the darkness. "Ricky?" He called back, lowering the gun in Ryder's hand. "Julian!" Came the voice again. "Jesus fuck Ricky you shot me, ya prick!" He gasped.

In a moment Ricky was near the car, Bubbles in tow. "Julian! Holy fuck I'm sorry!" Ricky apologized and stared as Ryder pulled her already bloody wifebeater over her head and balled it up against his wound. Julian let in a ragged breath, his eyes wide and the veins in his neck bulging. "Help me get him in the car!" Ryder demanded, gingerly bracing his hurt side. Ricky took the other and they managed to get him in the passenger seat. Ryder shoved Ricky back and slid across the hood of her car, jumping inside the driver's seat. Julians glass fell to the ground, breaking across her discarded shirt. Ryder sped off in search of the hospital they had passed. Ricky and Bubbles followed in the shitmobile, Ricky mentally berating himself. He didn't know it was Julian!

Ryder ruffled Julian's hair before she shifted the car. "Stay with me baby.." She pleaded. His lips were blue. "Jules..." The tears were welling up in her eyes. He coughed, clutching the wifebeater to the wound. She reached over, ruffling his hair again. Who the hell were those two guys? Julian knew the shooter. What the hell was going on? He gasped, trying to say her name. "Don't talk baby! We're almost there!" She jumped the curb pulling into the emergency lane of the hospital. Adrenaline taking over, she slid across the car again and helped him from the car.


	6. Two Hearts Down

He wasn't exactly a light dude, but with his help she managed to get him inside, him coughing up blood on her bare shoulder. "He's been shot in the chest! His lung is collapsed!" She sputtered to a nearby doctor and they loaded him onto a stretcher. She tried to follow as they wheeled him behind the doors but a nurse caught her and held her back. The nurse forced her down into a chair. Ryder was almost hysterical, clutching his shirt to her chest. "What happened?" Asked the nurse, clipboard in hand.

Ryder took a moment to compose herself. Remembering his discarded shirt she grabbed as she got out to car, she pulled it on. "He was shot in the chest. I think it was an accident. He knew the shooter. I really don't know what's going on. All I know is his lung is collapsed." The nurse took a minute to jot everything down. "What's your relation to him?" The nurse asked. She figured they wouldn't let her see him if she told them they were little more than acquaintances. "He's my husband." "And his full name?"Julian Lehey." Came a voice from behind her. The man with the thick glasses and the shooter had followed. The guy with the thick glasses identified himself as Julian's brother and filled the woman in on all the important details about Julian and how his being shot was a mistake on Ricky's part, being surprised in the dark. Meanwhile Ricky tried his best to talk to a still panicked Ryder, explaining to her that Julian was his best friend. "If Julian is like your brother, why the fuck did you shoot him?" she hissed under her breath to him.

He explained he was on a job to steal her car, without the slightest clue that it was actually Julian he was shooting at. "I just got spooked when he yelled hey. We didn't think anyone was around!" "So who are you?" Bubbles asked her as he took a seat. "I'm Ryder. We drove here from Florida on a job." "So Julian flew to Florida to drive a stolen car all the way back to Canada with a stranger?" Ricky asked. "That's my car and we're delivering something. And we were strangers but now we're friends." "Friends alright." Ricky laughed. "Looked like a lil more than friends to me. Julian doesn't sleep around with just anyone."

Ryder just shrugged. "Well I lied and told them we're married so they'd let me see him." "Well his last name isn't Lahey and I'm not really his Brother." Bubbles laughed. A doctor stepped in asking to speak to Julian Lahey's family. "That's us." Ryder said, springing to meet the doctor. He filled them in, Julian was stable and awake if she wanted to see him. "Yes!" She exclaimed, rushing the doctor to see him.


	7. Hold On Loosely

It hurt her heart to see him lying there hooked to all this machines. "It's been quite a day." He said. "I was about to get lucky and my best friend almost killed me. And my girl got me to the hospital just in time to save me." She smiled and leaned in to kiss him. "Oh so I'm your girl now?" She laughed. "If you'll have me." He smiled. "Of course." She smiled as she gently climbed into bed with him. "Hope your used to going fast." He grinned weakly. "I'll try and keep up."

"Come in." Julian said to the knock at the door. Ricky started apologizing as soon as he walked in. "Julian I didn't know it was you man! I was supposed to steal the car and I didn't know anyone was around..." "It's alright buddy. We were trying to be quiet on purpose." Julian said and Ryder's face flushed. "I thought you'd be harder to fluster than that." He smiled and kissed her. "Once I get better we'll have to pick up where we left off." And her face reddened more.


	8. Respect

Two weeks passed and everything settled down. Julian was well enough to go home and Ryder had delivered the weed and came back to take care of him. Ricky and Bubbles convinced whoever hired them that they had lost the car and managed to escape before the guy killed them. Time to lay low in the trailer park. Ryder helped Julian into the passenger side of the car. "So where is our home?" She asked. "Our home?" "Someone's gotta look out for you. Figure it's about time I become Canadian." she smiled.

Once in Sunnyvale the whole trailer park stood around to watch the black Charger pass. Ricky had already sent Julian word that some shit was going down. Cyrus was tryin to take over again. So Julian had her flying through the park, trying to get back to his place as quick as he could. He was in no shape to fight with Cyrus but damn was be tired of this guy. He pointed out his trailer to her and Cyrus' car. She fish tailed the car, kicking up rocks against his hot rod. Already he was waving his gun as if he was going to shoot someone. A small crowd assembled as Julian and Ryder stepped from the car.

"You've been gone too long! This is my trailer park now Julian!" he said waving his gun about." "Nope, it's ours." Ryder replied, pulling the Taurus Judge from the car and pointing it at him. "Put your toy away son." She scoffed, wrapping her free arm around Julian. "I bet you don't even know how to use that piece." Cyrus said, lowering his gun.

Ryder aimed at the driver's side mirror of his hot rod and squeezed the trigger, blowing the mirror away. "Nope, sure don't." She muttered, helping Julian towards the house. "Fucking bitch!" Cyrus shouted and rushed her, pointing his gun at her head. She let go of Julian, pressed her forehead against the barrel of Cyrus' gun. Julian tried to pull her away and she stood unwavering. Instead she raised her Taurus, pointed it right at his left eye. "If you keep dicking around my home, you won't have the chance to stare down this barrel again." She said, menacingly pulling back the hammer. "I suggest you head on home boy."

Cyrus dropped his gun and backed away slowly, hands in the air. She crouched down and retrieved his gun, tucking it in the front waistband of her pants, over one of the gun tattoos. "You're a crazy bitch!" Cyrus called over his shoulder as he jumped in his car. "So I've been told." She said smirking as Cyrus spun tires leaving the park. "Don't scare me like that again!" Julian said, wrapping a protective arm around her. He leaned in a whispered in her ear "Even if it was sexy as fuck." She laughed and helped him up the steps, Bubbles and Ricky in tow.


	9. Whole Lotta Love

She got him settled down and left him to catch up with the boys. She stalked back to the car to retrieved the suitcase she'd lived out of for years. She smiled, thinking how nice it'll be to empty out that old beat up suitcase and throw it in a closet. Yea, this looked like the start of a good thing. "Where's our bedroom?" She asked him and he pointed it out for her. When the boys shot him a quizzical look he smiled as he watched her tote her suitcase down the hall, wearing his old oversized t-shirt again. "I think she's decided she's stuck with me." He laughed.


End file.
